MONTEBELLO – Athens Services has threatened to sue the city if Montebello’s voters get the chance to revoke the company’s trash-hauling contract, officials said Tuesday.

A political fight broke out after the City Council in July awarded Athens Services an exclusive, 15-year contract to haul waste in the city. Before that, 13 different companies collected garbage.

Independent haulers since then have circulated a petition calling for a referendum to be placed on the November ballot that would revoke Athens contract and allow other haulers to work in the city.

A referendum is when an approved or proposed measure by a legislative body goes to a vote of the people.

Athens representatives claim the petition for the referendum is flawed, and independent trash haulers misled the community when they obtained signatures.

Calls to Dennis Chiappetta, executive vice president of Athens, and Robert Palmer, attorney for Athens, were not immediately returned Tuesday.

But in an Aug. 28 letter addressed to the city, Palmer says the petition is invalid because a draft of the contract was used to collect signatures.

“We cannot understand why the City Clerk and Attorney would act otherwise and possibly subject the city to lengthy litigation,” Palmer writes. “And at the same time deny its citizens improved waste disposal services.”

Michael Montgomery, attorney for the trash haulers, said his clients have followed the state election code.

The issue should go to a vote, he said.

“With that important of a contract, (one) that will last for 15 years, and involves solving the waste crisis,” Montgomery said. “You should let the people decide.”

The 15-year contract with Athens, worth about $7.8 million annually, provides Montebello with a one-time payment of $500,000 and 7.5 percent of gross receipts from commercial accounts. On July 23, it was approved on a 3-2 vote by council members Kathy Salazar, Robert Urteaga and Rosie Vasquez. Mayor Bill Molinari and Councilwoman Mary Anne Saucedo- Rodriguez voted against it.

Trash haulers are against the contract, which would force them to find work elsewhere as their contracts are phased out over the next seven years.

The haulers – who have formed the political action committee Montebello Residents for Honest Government – submitted a referendum with more than 6,300 signatures to the city clerk Aug. 20.

The law required the group to gather 2,550 signatures or 10 percent of the city’s 25,496 registered voters to qualify for the ballot.

Montgomery said petitioners had only 30 days after the July 23 approval date to turn in a referendum.

Petitioners did not have time to wait for the final contract to be finished, he said.

Montgomery said the referendum process suspends the contract with Athens.

Molinari, who voted against the contract, has not yet signed it. He said he was presented with the final draft Aug. 8.

“I am reviewing the contract but I still have several concerns,” Molinari said Thursday. “I know what my responsibility is as the mayor.”

Urteaga, who is in favor of the issue going to a vote, said the contract should be signed.

“It’s his judiciary duty,” Urteaga said Tuesday. “In my opinion he is refusing to sign. It doesn’t prevent it from going to a vote of the people. It is the normal standard operating procedure. It’s just wrong.”